Marlins Park will have an “expanded role” in the ’21 World Baseball Classic, including “hosting the semifinal and championship rounds of the international event,” according to Jordan McPherson of the MIAMI HERALD. Marlins Park also will serve as a “host venue in each of the first two rounds of the tournament that lead up to the semifinals." It will be the first time one ballpark plays a role in all three stages of the tournament. Marlins Park has previously hosted portions of each of the past two WBCs. WBC President Jim Small said that the bidding process took place last summer and that there was interest “from all over the world." McPherson notes in addition to Marlins Park, Japan's Tokyo Dome, Taiwan’s Taichung Intercontinental Baseball Stadium and Phoenix’ Chase Field “will be first-round venues.” Small said, “When we got the bid back from the Marlins, we were impressed not just with what we knew, which is the enthusiasm that takes place here for baseball, but also we were impressed that Miami and Dade County were open for business.” Small said that the U.S.-Dominican Republic game in ’17, which was played in front of a ballpark-record crowd of 37,446, was a “reason for Marlins Park getting continual support” for the WBC. Small: “That passion, that emotion, that excitement, the noise, is all something that’s very special and something we want to share with the federations and the players that represent the World Baseball Classic” (MIAMI HERALD, 2/26).
REQUEST DENIED: In Dallas, Evan Grant notes MLB and the MLBPA decided to “bypass the Rangers’ bid to host play” during the ’21 WBC at Globe Life Field. Rangers officials had “mentioned the WBC as a logical target" for the new ballpark. Globe Life Field “features a retractable roof, which was attractive,” but proximity to Spring Training sites “may have been a bigger draw for the league and MLBPA” (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 2/26).
